Army Chief’s service extended in larger national interest: Firdous

ISLAMABAD, Aug 19 (APP):Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Monday said the decision of extension in the service of Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa was made in the larger national interest keeping in view continuity of state polices in the prevailing regional situation.

Pakistan, she said, was in a state of war due to continuous ceasefire violations by India on the Line of Control (LoC), the prevailing situation in Afghanistan, and law and order situation in Balochistan.

Four Pakistan Army soldiers were recently martyred in unprovoked Indian firing from across the LoC, she said while talking to PTV.

Dr Firdous said continuation of Gen Bajwa’s tenure for next three years was a timely decision as the government had achieved successes in the war against terrorism and established its complete writ in the merged tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

She said that role of Gen Bajwa in keeping both the military and civil leadership on one page on the Afghan policy was imperative. The world had now acknowledged Pakistan’s stance that peace could only be established in Afghanistan through talks. Pakistan played a vital role in bringing Taliban on the table for negotiations, she added.

Pakistan, she said, had sacrificed 80,000 lives of innocent people in the war against terror and the international country had admitted the country’s crucial role in eliminating the menace of terrorism after 17 years.
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The commander is not changed in the war like situation,” the special assistant said.

To a question, Dr Firdous said when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government came into power, the country’s economy was in the ruins, with ever increasing foreign loans and decreasing exports.

The PTI government had to take loans to pay the existing ones and after hectic efforts, it saved the country from bankruptcy, she added.